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Concentric left ventricular morphology in aerobically trained kayak canoeists
Phillip E Gates1, Ian G Campbell, Keith P George
1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager Faculty, Alsager ST7 2HL, UK. phillip.gates@colorado.edu
Journal of Sports Sciences
|October 30, 2004
Summary
Highly trained kayak canoeists exhibit increased left ventricular wall thickness, indicating a concentric cardiac adaptation to upper body aerobic training. Resting heart function remains comparable across athletes and non-athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Cardiology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Athletes often display cardiac adaptations due to training.
- Upper body aerobic training's specific effects on cardiac structure are less understood compared to whole-body exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiac structural differences in upper body aerobically trained athletes (kayak canoeists) compared to recreationally active and sedentary men.
- To test if aerobic training leads to greater left ventricular wall thickness but similar chamber dimensions.
Main Methods:
- Ultrasound echocardiography was employed to assess cardiac structure and function.
- Three groups were studied: highly trained kayak canoeists (n=10), moderately active individuals (n=10), and sedentary men (n=10).
Main Results:
- Kayak canoeists showed significantly thicker septal and posterior left ventricular walls (approx. 0.2 cm).
- Left ventricular mass was substantially greater in canoeists (51% and 32% higher than sedentary and moderately active groups, respectively).
- No significant differences in left ventricular chamber dimensions or resting diastolic/systolic function were observed.
Conclusions:
- Upper body aerobic training induces a concentric pattern of cardiac enlargement in athletes.
- Despite cardiac structural changes, resting left ventricular function is not impaired in these athletes compared to less active individuals.